The Bachelor season 29 has been officially announced by ABC, and its leading man will be Bachelorette season 21 contestant Grant Ellis. The Bachelor premiered in 2002 and has become one of the most successful reality dating competition shows. Its spin-offs, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, are also very popular. In addition, The Golden Bachelor was a tremendous hit, and led to another much-anticipated spin-off, The Golden Bachelorette.

The Bachelor season 28 starred Joey, a 28-year-old tennis pro from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, who began his journey to find love with 32 women. In the end, he chose to propose to Kelsey Anderson, a 25-year-old junior project manager who lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, and she happily accepted. Here's what to know about The Bachelor season 29.

The Bachelor Season 29 Latest News

The Bachelor Was Renewed For Another Season

On May 10, 2024, ABC announced via Instagram that The Bachelor had been renewed for season 29. The caption of the post read, "Here for the right reason and another season! #TheBachelor will return to ABC for another season. Stream on Hulu." The announcement came about two months after Joey Graziadei got engaged to Kelsey Anderson during the season finale of The Bachelor season 28.

The Bachelor Season 29 Lead

Grant Ellis Will Star In The Bachelor Season 29

On August 12, 2024, after Jenn said goodbye to Grant on The Bachelorette season 21, The Bachelor season 29 lead via Instagram. Grant is a 30-year-old day trader, originally from Newark, New Jersey, but currently living in Houston, Texas. He planned to be a professional basketball player, and even went overseas to play, but an injury ended his career. After that, Grant entered the finance field, in which he's been very successful.

Throughout The Bachelorette season 21, Grant emphasized that his mission in life is to become a husband and a father. He opened up to Jenn about his family, including his father, who's struggled with addiction for the past 30 years. Grant told her that, right before he left for The Bachelorette, his father checked himself into rehab, and it was the proudest he'd ever been of him. His father was about two months sober, and they were rebuilding their relationship.

Jenn and Grant shared a deep connection, which grew stronger during their magical one-on-one date during which they went horseback riding on the beach and had a picnic. Grant put all of his focus on Jenn, and he made it to her Top 7 men, but she said goodbye to him right before her hometown dates. When he was eliminated by Jenn, he said in his confessional that he felt "empty." Grant added that he wanted to give everything to somebody, and he wanted her to give everything to him in return.

In an X post, ABC executive Grant's Bachelor announcement came so much earlier than other recent leads, who've been revealed during the Bachelorette "After the Final Rose" episode. He wrote, "We are announcing Grant so quickly so people can still apply to be on his season. If you think Grant is potentially the man of your dreams or you know someone who is apply ASAP!!! #TheBachelor." This is a step in the right direction for the Bachelor franchise.

The Bachelor Season 29 Cast

Grant's Cast Consists Of 25 Women

In an Instagram post, The Bachelor announced the 25 women who'll be competing for Grant's heart. They include Alexe (27, a pediatric speech therapist from New Brunswick, Canada); Alli Jo (30, a boxing trainer from Manalapan, NJ); Allyshia (29, an interior designer from Tampa, FL); Bailey (27, a social media manager from Atlanta, GA); Beverly (30, an insurance salesperson from Howard Beach, NY); Carolina (28, a public relations producer from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico); Chloie (27, a model from New York, NY); and Christina (26, a marketing director from Fargo, ND).

Grant's Bachelor cast will also feature Dina (31, an attorney from Chicago, IL); Ella (25, a luxury travel host from Los Angeles, CA); J’Nae (28, an coordinator from Colorado Springs, CO); Juliana (28, a client service associate from Newton, MA); Kelsey (26, an interior designer from Brooklyn, NY); Kyleigh (26, a retail manager from Wilmington, NC); Litia (31, a venture capitalist from Salt Lake City, UT); Natalie (25, a Ph.D. student from Louisville, KY); Neicey (32, a pediatrician from Blythewood, SC); and Parisa, (29, a pediatric behavior analyst from Birmingham, MI).

In addition, Grant will meet Radhika (28, an attorney from New York, NY), Rebekah (31, an ICU nurse from Dallas, TX); Rose (27, a ed nurse from Chicago, IL); Sarafiena (29, an associate media director from New York, NY); Savannah (27, a wedding planner from Charlottesville, VA); Vicky (28, a nightclub server from Las Vegas, NV); and Zoe (27, a tech engineer and model from New York, NY).

With 25 women, Grant's Bachelor cast is the smallest since The Bachelor season 16 starring Ben Flajnik, which also had 25 women, although there were larger casts before Ben's. After Ben's season, the biggest cast was Matt James', which started with 32 women and then added five more later in the season for a total of 37. The Bachelor season 28 starring Joey had 32 contestants, so Grant's cast has seven fewer women than his.

The Bachelor Season 29 Premiere Date

The Bachelor Season 29 Will Premiere In January 2025

In an Instagram post shared on November 11, 2024, Bachelor Nation announced that The Bachelor season 29 will premiere on January 27, 2025. The post's caption reads, "See you January 27, Bachelor Nation! #TheBachelor [red heart emoji]." It features Grant standing in front of a screen with red rose petals floating behind him, saying the classic Bachelor catchphrase, "Hey! Can I steal you for a second?" Then he adds, "I have a very important date for you."

Grant then opens a Bachelor date card, which reveals that The Bachelor season 29 premiere is on January 27. It will be available to watch on ABC and to stream on Hulu. In the comments section of the post, Bachelor fans expressed their excitement about the announcement. They also gushed about how much they love Grant. Grant's Bachelorette season 21 co-star Austin Ott wrote, "Let’s gooooooo. can’t wait." The Bachelor season 28 contestant Autumn Waggoner wrote, "Countdown clock is set!"

The Bachelor season 29 doesn't have a finale date yet, but The Bachelor season 28 premiered on January 22, 2024, and had its season finale on March 25, 2024. Grant's season will probably follow a similar timeline and format, including hometown dates, Fantasy Suite dates, and, hopefully, if all goes well, a proposal at the very end.

It's wonderful to see that Grant will be continuing his journey to find love and live happily ever after. He's handsome, kind, thoughtful, and genuine. Grant is so ready to be a husband and a father, which is so important in order for the Bachelor journey to work. Grant was the perfect choice to be the lead of The Bachelor season 29.

The Bachelor season 29 premieres on January 27, 2025, on ABC.

Sources: ABC/Instagram, ABC/Instagram, Robert Mills/X, The Bachelor/Instagram, Bachelor Nation/Instagram